Aretha Franklin is not the only one asking for a little respect. As civilized human beings we all expect others to value us, whether it is at home or at work. We tend to forget; however, that respect must first be earned.
The word “respect” can be defined numerous ways, but it can easily be summed up by the Golden Rule: “Treat others the way you would want to be treated.” Simple as that. What is not so easy is how to gain the respect of others, especially in a classroom setting. Teachers are not there to be a student’s friend, but rather a mentor. Students should listen to their teachers and follow their rules. They may ask questions about the rules, but once an appropriate answer is given, they should follow it without complaint. Lack of respect in the classroom can affect the learning of everyone in the room. Disorderly actions by a student can cause distractions to other students, and consume the teacher’s time. If actions are not taken to correct the behavior of a disruptive student, teachers risk losing the respect of their entire class.
So, the question is, “How is respect best established in a classroom environment?” It depends on the teacher. Each teacher will have his/her own style of teaching and different rules for students to follow. What is the same for all teachers is that they must first gain the respect of their class. Teachers need to sincerely care about every student, not only what they are doing inside the classroom, but outside as well. They need the students to understand that they want everyone to learn. How a teacher accomplishes this often reflects their personal perspective. Students of all ages have an uncanny knack for picking up on sincerity. With a combination of guidance and a genuine concern for students, respect will naturally follow.
Hi Abbie, (I'm Jim's student aid, in case he hasn't "virtually introduced" me to your class; he gave me permission to check out/comment on your guys' blogs)
ReplyDeleteYou expressed many ideas and covered a lot of ground on your blog...one thing that stuck out to me is the comment you made to the effect that teachers are not students friends, but rather mentors. As a future educator, I have had this told to me many times as well, and it is, of course, on some levels, very true. You would not invite your math teacher to play video games with you and your friends on a Friday night...that's a no-brainer. But these dispositions you've been talking about in class, like respect and compassion, aren't those both qualities that you would look for in a friend? A lot of your classmates have talked about 'authenticity' in some of their best teachers as well; the ability to 'be real' with someone - I know this is something I REALLY value in a good friend! While I, like you, am uncomfortable with thinking of the teacher as "friend," I am struck by how many of these qualities that we see in good teaching are very much like those we see in good friends....just some food for thought.